Unhinged: A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery

OnceaWallStreethotshot,Jacobia“Jake”Tiptreechuckeditallforacharminglydilapidatedfixer-upperinthetinytownofEastport,Maine.Shewascertainshe’dleftthedangersofcitylifebehind—untilshediscoveredthatnoplace,nomatterhowidyllicandpeacefulitmayappear,issafefrommurder.ItbeganwiththemysteriousdisappearanceofHarrietHollingsworth—Eastport’ssnoopiestresident.Everyoneisconvincedtheoldbusybodyboltedoutoftowntoescapehercreditor—everyoneexceptJakeandherbestfriendElliewhoknowHarrietwouldneverleavehomewithouthermostprizedpossession.ButbeforeJakeandElliecanpersuadepolicechiefBobArnoldtoopenaninvestigation,they’llneedtocomeupwithproofmoresinisterthanapairofabandonedbinoculars.JustasJakestartspokingaroundforclues,thingssuddenlytakeatroublingturnfortheworse.Asuspiciousaccidentnearlykillsherteenagedson,Sam,andherhusband,Wade,justmissesgettinghisheadblownoff.Jakeispreparedtoattributetheseincidentstoaspateofbadluck—untilanother“accident”leavesavisitortoEastportunmistakablydead.Mostperplexing,allthismayhemcoincideswiththeunexpectedarrivalofamanfromJake’spast:aformerNewYorkCitycop.HarryMarkleclaimshehasunintentionallybroughtanunwelcomeguestintoEastport:acrookdeterminedtoknockoffeveryonewithtiestoHarry.Twenty-fourhoursago,Jake’sonlyworrywasfixingherbroken-downguttersanddownspoutsbeforethebigstormsweptintotown.Now,everythingseemstobefallingapartallaroundher.Jakeknowsfromexperiencethatthetruthisusuallyasmessyandcomplicatedasdo-it-yourselfremodeling.Asitbecomeschillinglyclearthatappearancesinthisquaintcommunityaremoremisleadingthanever,she’llhavetofindawaytolureahomicidalmaniacintothelight--beforehenailsanothervictim.